Nothing is more important to the longevity of any wood product than its finish. These are true words - a good wood door will not stay "good" unless it is finished properly.

This is just one portion of a front door on a house I inspected for a one-year warranty.

This is an expensive house and that is a good wood door.

AND THAT IS A JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL FINISH JOB. My eighth grade shop teacher would give me a D for that work.

The job was done with a small brush.

Brush strokes are seen everywhere.

The single coat is VERY thin.

The finish product does not seem like an exterior-grade product.

The finish has dried bubbles all over which indicate that a SANDING SEALER was not used first. A professional knows to use it first.

Wood has six sides! All six must be equally treated or the wood will be compromised.

This finish product is already peeling, splitting, thinning out and ugly.

This is how the top of the door looks!

If it is this poorly finished, what does the bottom look like? I would not trust it.

The front doors at Monticello and Mount Vernon have been there for centuries. Why?

How long will this door last before it has problems?

What will happen to this door in time?

It will swell and split, especially at joints. The finish will continue to deteriorate. It will warp. It will no longer seal the opening.

IT WILL BE A MESS! In a short time these folks will want to have their guests enter through the garage door!

This door has been there less than 11 months. It is protected from the sun by a front porch surround and roof!

THE FINISH ON THIS DOOR WAS NOT DONE FOR THESE PEOPLE. IT WAS DONE TO THESE PEOPLE!

It needs to be completely stripped and completely refinished. The finish product should be a good, exterior-grade, long-lasting finish. Spraying is best. I prefer a good sanding sealer and marine spar varnish, but that is just me.

The door might need to be replaced. I may already be compromised.

This builder and/or subcontractor should be ashamed.

And here is the kicker. My client thought it was normal and that a new finish needed to be reapplied every couple of years!

My recommendation: get a one-year inspection on your house! Buyers often assume that because something is new it was done properly, professionally and what they get is normal. Sometimes those things are not true! And hire someone who knows that he's looking at. That will make all the difference!

Thanks Debbie. Wood is wood. It needs proper treatment, and especially when water is nearby!

Don - it has to be made right or the result is typically much more expensive! One year inspections are very important.

Chris - I think you're right - most people don't know about this sort of thing. That's why the supervisor on site is so important on new construction. This supervisor let this go a year ago. Bad news...

Charlie - silly me! Actually the finish on this door, front and back (and top) probably took 45 minutes. With a little brush!

Jay - Solid wood door require both a great initial finish and regular maintenance, depending upon the amount of exposure. As you suggested, I always used marine spar varnish on wood doors, but even that weathers quickly in Georgia's summer extremes. And most "painters" are only aware of 4 sides (those you can actually see without removing the door.

Posted by John Mulkey, Housing Guru (TheHousingGuru.com) over 7 years ago

It depends on exposure to sunlight John, as to how long a finish will last. But marine spar is easy to touch up. The four-side thinking is why so much wood trim rots so quickly around windows and doors too.